Implantable Right Ventricular Pressure Sensor for Atrial Filling Estimation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current diagnostic approaches for heart failure, particularly in remote settings, provide limited data for accurately detecting the root causes of rising cardiac pressures, leading to trial and error medication techniques that can result in unnecessary harm and delayed correct diagnosis.

Innovation Solution

An implantable medical system with a sensing device in the right ventricle that monitors right ventricle pressure information to determine right and left atrial filling pressures, allowing for a treatment regimen adjustment without direct monitoring of these pressures, using wireless communication and processing to compare pressures to baseline values and adjust medication accordingly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If trial and error medication techniques are used to reduce heart pressure, then treatment can be initiated, but unnecessary harm and delayed correct diagnosis occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreatment accuracyVSAvoiddiagnosis delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by continuously monitoring right ventricle pressure and using algorithms to estimate left atrial filling pressure before acute decompensation occurs. This allows early identification of patients needing treatment adjustment, eliminating the trial-and-error approach and enabling proactive medication management before harm occurs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring right ventricle pressure, estimating left atrial filling pressure, comparing it to threshold values, and providing recommendations for medication adjustment. This closed-loop feedback system replaces trial-and-error medication techniques with data-driven decisions, improving treatment accuracy and preventing delayed diagnosis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If remote monitoring with limited data is used, then patient monitoring is feasible, but accurate detection of root causes of rising cardiac pressures is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveremote monitoring feasibilityVSAvoidroot cause detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses right ventricle pressure as an intermediary measurement that can be obtained remotely through implantable sensors. Algorithms then process this intermediary data to estimate left atrial filling pressure and identify root causes of cardiac pressure changes. This intermediary approach maintains remote monitoring feasibility while improving measurement precision through sophisticated signal processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies parameter changes by transforming right ventricle pressure measurements into estimates of left atrial filling pressure using mathematical models and algorithms. This parameter transformation enables accurate detection of root causes (such as fluid overload versus cardiac dysfunction) while maintaining the simplicity of remote monitoring through a single sensor.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If a single pressure sensor in the right ventricle is used, then device complexity is reduced, but direct measurement of left atrial pressure is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensor system simplicityVSAvoidleft atrial pressure measurement accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates a copy of left atrial pressure information by using algorithms to estimate it from right ventricle pressure measurements. Instead of placing a second sensor in the left atrium, the system computationally reconstructs the left atrial pressure signal, maintaining measurement precision while dramatically reducing device complexity and eliminating the need for additional implantation procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4114255B1Wireless heart pressure sensor system
Publication Date: 2024.09.04 WL GORE & ASSOC INC
  • EP4114255B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4114255B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4114255B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3

AI summary

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to implantable cardiac sensors and associated diagnostic and treatment methods. In an exemplary embodiment, a medical system for determining a treatment regimen for a patient with a heart condition comprises a sensing device including a pressure sensor for monitoring and providing RVP information representative of right ventricle heart pressures. At least the pressure sensor is configured for implantation into a right ventricle of the patient's heart. One or more processors are coupled to receive the RVP information and configured to determine a right atrial filling pressure based on the RVP information and a left atrial filling pressure based on the RVP information. A display device displays the right atrial filling pressure and the left atrial filling pressure. In embodiments, the one or more processors determine the left and right atrial filling pressures using the right ventricular pressure as a surrogate.